Arch Enemy

Have you been suffering from foot or leg pain lately? Are you noticing that one foot tends to be flatter than the other? If so, you most likely are suffering from a common condition called flat feet. Over a quarter of Americans have the condition, whether they’ve always had flat feet or developed them later on in life.

Flat feet occur due to fallen arches, which can happen at any point in life. Although most people don’t suffer from any pain due to their fallen arches, there are some disabling foot conditions that can develop due to flat feet which include Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, knee pain, and plantar fasciitis. If you’ve been noticing a flattening pattern in your arches and are starting to experience pain, your falling arches should be of some rising concern for your foot health.

How can you tell if you have flat feet? If you are experiencing foot pain but are not sure whether it is related to flat feet or not, Podiatrist Harvey Danciger provides these simple tests, which can help you determine your arch type. They include the following:

1. Footprint test. You can tell the type of your arch just by looking at your wet footprint. The next time you get out of a swimming pool, look at your footprint on the cement. Normal footprints will have the front of the foot joined to the heel by a strip that is half the width of the front of the foot. With flat feet, the middle strip will be the same width as the front.

2. Shoe evaluation. Check your shoes by putting them flat on a table and viewing them at eye level from behind. If the sole of the shoe shows more wear on the inside, especially in the heel area, flat feet are likely the cause. A shoe that rocks easily from side to side and causes the upper part of the shoe to lean over the sole can be signs of flat feet as well.

If you do in fact have flat feet that are contributing to foot pain, contact our office to set up an appointment with Dr. Danciger right away. Custom orthotic inserts, therapy, or more serious methods of treatment can be provided based on your flat foot condition. Let us help you put arch pains behind you!